Lose Body Fat Now

Usually when an individual decideds that they want to become more physically fit...it means to lose weight. This is most common because 65% of Americans are overweight or obese. This literally means that about 2 out of 3 people are affected. This means that 2 out of 3 Americans are unhealthy. Decreasing body fat percentage rather than weight will not only make you look and feel better, but it also makes you healthier.

Try this next time you are in a public place. Look to you left and right, and then look at your self. Do over 60% of the people around you look physically in active and overweight or obese. Now look at your self. Are you included in this number. More children than ever before are being diagnosed with diabetes, and adults, are having more severe health conditions at earlier ages.

Cardio for Body Fat Loss

Cardiovascular training is a great resource for decreasing body fat percentage. When combined with the correct diet it can also lower cholesterhol, improve cardiac response, and increase blood flow. The benefits of cardiovascular training are endless, but depending on your goals, there are certain things that you must keep in mind.

When doing cardio for body fat loss, be sure to maintain your Targe Heart Rate. Your Target Heart Rate is basically a range of two numbers that the heats bpm should be in between. Here is how you can find out how to find your THR.

First thing in the morning, while still in bed, calculate your heart rate (HR).
Subtract your age in years from 220 to get you standard maximal HR.
Subtract the your morning HR from your standard maximal HR.
Multiply the result of step 3 by 0.60.
Multiply the result of step 3 by 0.70.
Add your morning HR to the result of step 4.
Add your morning HR to the result of step 5.
Your target HR training zone is between the two results of steps 6 and 7.
A more advanced athlete my exercise to 85% of their maximum. Step5 can be increased depending on the individuals specific level of fitness. THR is important because it puts the body in its favorite fat-burning zone. If you go above these numbers, you begin to break down protein and amino acids, the building blocks of muscle. So it is possible to do cardio without losing muscle, and actually decrease your body fat percentage.

Resistance Training to Decrease Body Fat Percentage

While it is very important to do cardio, it is also very important to participate in resistance training. When you do cardio for the purpose of losing Body Fat (BF), you are basically reducing the amount of fat between the muscle and the skin. Individuals who are very lean have a small amount of fat blocking muscle.

Resistance training while also training cardiovascularly is essential. When done correctly, you will beging to cut into that layer of fat between the skin and the muscle. Resistance training will then increase the size and strength of that muscle, pushing it toward the surface, creating an extra lean look.

Muscle also raises the bodies metabolism, which is the amount of calories that you burn at any given time. Having a higher overall metabolism will not only help you lose weight but also body fat percentage.